Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba, Piedmont, Italy 2013 ($20)
You may know the Pio Cesare winery because they make some really great Barolos.
And while the Barolo has been known as “king of the wines, wine of the kings,” the
Barbera, on the other hand, is known as the “wine of the people.”
And we, the people, love it.
Barbera grapes are grown in Piedmont, Italy which is generally associated with the the Nebbiolo grape and its wines – like Barolo and Barbaresco.
But those wines have a ton of tannins and take time to age. And you know the Italians, they need something to drink with dinner tonight.
Enter the Barbera, one of the most widely planted grape in Italy. Those grapes create wines with structure, that are often have ripe fruit like blackberry with some spicy when you smell them. And while they’re great for right now, they have age-ability as well.
Most Barbera is grown in the northwestern part Italy but these days you can find it almost everywhere– from Australia to Argentina – to even Santa Barbara.
Barbera d’Alba gets its grapes from the Alba area in Piedmont and must be at least 85% Barbera grapes. The other 15% can be Nebbiolo.
The Pio Cesare Barbera d’Alba is a dark cherry color and has a nice long finish. It’s super balanced and has a ton of acidity. So it will work great with your bowl of pasta, slice of pizza, even a cup of chilli.
I had it with a plate of pecorino and a big fat ball of fresh mozzarella.
Heavenly.
